Palace admits Chinese national named adviser

By Arjay L. Balinbin, Reporter
MALACAÑANG on Tuesday said Chinese businessman Michael Yang is President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s economic adviser.
In a press briefing at the Palace on Tuesday, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador S. Panelo initially denied that Mr. Yang is a presidential economic adviser, but said the Chinese businessman “is one of the advisers” whom the President consults.
“No. Michael Yang is just one of those advisers that the President consults on a particular matter. But he just receives one peso a year,” he said.
But when asked what “sensitive information” Mr. Yang has access to given his role, Mr. Panelo in his reply referred to the Chinese businessman as “economic adviser.”
“That’s between the President and the economic adviser. You cannot be revealing those things,” he said.
Mr. Panelo also said: “He consults him every now and then. You know Mr. Yang is a wealthy man; he has risen from poor origins to being a wealthy man.”
He added: “And he has a technical know-how to run a business, and also because he is Chinese, he knows a lot of people in the Chinese government — and he knows the psychology of Chinese. On that aspect, the President needs people like him.”
But in a media interview at the Palace last Oct. 9, Mr. Duterte denied that Mr. Yang was his economic adviser.
“Cannot be because he’s Chinese,” he said, referring to Mr. Yang, who is the CEO and owner of the Davao City Los Amigos (DCLA) stores in Mindanao.
Detained Senator Leila M. De Lima filed last Oct. 18 a resolution seeking a Senate probe into Mr. Yang’s appointment.
Ms. De Lima cited Section 4 (f) of the Republic Act No. 6713, which states that “[p]ublic officials and employees shall at all times be loyal to the Republic and to the Filipino people, promoted the use of locally produced goods, resources and technology and encourage appreciation and pride of the country and the people. They shall endeavor to maintain and defend Philippine sovereignty against foreign intrusion.”
She added that Article II, Section 19 of the Constitution states that “[t]he State shall develop a self-reliant and independent national economy effectively controlled by Filipinos.”
“The independence of the State from foreign control necessitates that the questionable citizenship of a presidential adviser be authenticated, and the nature and scope of his influence over foreign policy be fully disclosed,” Ms. De Lima also said in her press release.
Sought for comment, Ateneo Policy Center research fellow Atty. Michael Henry Ll. Yusingco said the appointment of Mr. Yang is illegal. “[N]o, it is not legal for any foreigner to be appointed for any position in government,” Mr. Yusingco said in an email.
“Therefore, Mr. Yang, a Chinese national, cannot be appointed by the President as his economic adviser,” said Mr. Yusingco.
He added that if copies of Mr. Yang’s contracts, which were obtained and reported by Rappler.com, “are confirmed to be authentic, [then] these can be used as proof of a serious breach of public trust and a palpable violation of his oath to uphold the 1987 Constitution.”
For his part, Justice Secretary Menardo I. Guevarra said in a phone message to reporters: “There’s no legal prohibition. Advisory capacity lang ‘yun. The President may or may not listen to him.”
NEW APPOINTMENTS
Also on Tuesday, Mr. Panelo announced the appointment of Noel K. Felongco and Alvin S.J. Feliciano as Lead Convener of the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) and Chairperson of the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor (PCUP), respectively.
“The Palace wishes to announce the following appointments: Mr. Noel Quinazo Felongco is the Lead Convenor of the National Anti-Poverty Commission and also the appointment of Mr. Alvin San Juan Feliciano as Chairperson of the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor. Both appointments were signed by the President last October 31,” Mr. Panelo said.
The NAPC was previously headed by former secretary Liza Maza. Citing Mr. Duterte’s cancellation of the peace talks with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), Ms. Maza announced her “irrevocable resignation” last Aug. 20. As for the PCUP, its former chairperson, Terry Ridon, was fired last year because of his alleged “excessive foreign trips.”